Si was running; he ran as fast as he could.

  He got the message. He hadn’t been asleep; he had been talking to his mother. It wasn’t instant—despite having his messenger with him, somehow, he checked too slowly. Si ran, first to his red room—his private Gate—he was near Luna’s house—Shadows’ swirl, and he was there.

  Too slow!

  The door was broken; someone was inside. He detected the energy the moment he crossed the Gate. It was dark inside; Si couldn’t see clearly.

  There were silhouettes!

  He saw a brief spark from a weapon. Someone used it and fell to the floor, then a fourth silhouette.

  Si swirled and slipped; it was blood!

  He was there, and before he could see what was happening in the darkness, he heard two screams, then silence followed.

  “Luna, it’s over; Si is here, Luna,” Taj was saying.

  Si panicked. “Luna, not Luna, no, what? No, no,” he almost screamed.

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  “Taj?”

  He heard it was Luna’s voice; she was there; she spoke.

  “Taj, Taj?”

  And then the silence.

  The silence.

  Si could detect that there was energy; Taj was healing her. Si was right there. He created light, and he saw it.

  “No, no, no, what?” Si was mumbling.

  What he saw was blood—Luna was covered in blood.

  “It is mostly not hers, Si; calm down. I am healing her.” Taj’s voice was calm.

  Why was Taj so calm?

  Si wasn’t sure what to do. Panic. It was panic, but he had never panicked before.

  “Her hand and leg are both healed,” Taj continued talking. “She is unconscious, but she will be all right. She managed; she will be proud of it later. O, she will. Si?”

  “What, what? Why? I was too slow!” Si screamed at the end; he couldn’t come to his senses.

  “Check the attackers. Or ask Lukai to come and check them. They are dead; I had to kill them. The energy we used was surely detected; inform Domini, so there won’t be a crowd here. Luna, I think she needs to be hidden. Shadows or the OFF. Though, Si, they both were Abilitiers. Sadly, I suspect the OFF is involved. Decide, Si.” Taj was talking to him patiently.

  It made Si finally calm down.

  “So, I was—” he started, stopped. Then he decided. “Shadows. Let’s go. Lukai has to investigate; he needs to solve it internally.”

  Taj nodded.

  “Good. Si, it is all right to feel lost. I see you care. You must know that Luna will feel proud. She would manage without me, I am sure. I will tell her this. I interfered so she wouldn’t be injured much more. You need to understand; she needed it.” Taj was talking slowly.

  Si understood it. He knew her reasons better and better. Nodded.

  “Let’s go. My mother is awake; she will help,” he said.

  “O, Sara? Amazing,” Taj said only, and they left.

  Luna was unconscious in Si’s arms. Safe now.